Travellers camp at Woodhouse Grove School

A group of travellers have set up camp on the grounds of a private boarding school.

The camps have been set up in the car park of Woodhouse Grove School in Apperley Bridge - one of the region’s top private schools where parents fork out £25,000 for pupils to board.

Vans, caravans and a horse arrived at the school nine days ago and the school says more have joined them in recent days.

Now the school has launched legal proceedings to move the travellers on from the car park. However the travellers remain.

W West Yorks leases the car park from Bradford Council and says it has no other option than to inform the police.

Peter Thompson, the operational director of the school, said: “We had no other option open to us than to inform the police and start legal proceedings.

“I have been to talk to them on numerous occasions and have always been met cordially and nicely but with no commitment to when they will go.”

The visitors have also caused a stir on social media.Idlefolk said: “Gypsies have moved in at Apperley Bridge again on Woodhouse Grove School car park.”

Woodhouse Grove a junior school, known as Bronte House, as well as the main secondary building where the travellers are currently based.

It offers its students boarding arrangements on an occasional, weekly or full basis, across two houses: Brodwell House for boys, purpose-built in 2006, and Miller House for girls in the old part of the school.

Activities are arranged for boarding pupils at weekend.

There are approximately 1,000 students on roll, currently including around 90 boarders.

Pupils at the school are required to sit an entrance exam, as well as pass an interview with staff, before they are granted admission.